I’m trying to decide on what type of porcelain veneers to get. I’ve been to two cosmetic dentists. One is suggesting zirconia crowns instead of veneers. The other is suggesting Lumineers which he said are porcelain veneers. I like the idea of porcelain veneers best but I’ve seen some bad reviews of the Lumineers. Should I try something completely different than the two options given to me?
Callie
Dear Callie,
I’m glad you wrote. I actually am going to suggest you change the question a bit. Instead of asking what type of veneer you should get, I’d like you to ask what type of dentist should you look for. Almost all cosmetic dental work is an art form. Like any art form, the artist you choose is way more indicative of the type of results you will get than the materials they use.
For example, let’s say that you were commissioning an oil painting. You gave two artists the same paints, the same type of canvas, and the same subject to paint. One of them is a gifted artist with years of training and experience under their belt. The other dabbles. I’m sure you’d expect the results to be vastly different. The same will be true with your porcelain veneers.
The best cosmetic dentists will have extensive post doctoral training in cosmetic dentistry. I would also take the additional precaution of looking at their smile gallery to see the type of results they produce. If they don’t have a smile gallery, don’t bother with that dentist. If they were serious about cosmetic work, they’d have a smile gallery.
All of that being said, I’m not impressed with either suggestion that the two different dentists gave you. If a dentist suggests dental crowns when your teeth are healthy, that is a big red flag. It usually means that they are not comfortable with porcelain veneers and are pointing you toward a procedure they do know how to do rather than sending you somewhere else. I don’t like this because they’re having you remove extra healthy tooth structure rather lose business. Second, even if dental crowns were the right solution, zirconia would not be. These are milled from single blocks of zirconia, which is fine for back teeth, but would make your front teeth look obviously fake.
Lumineers, while they are a brand of porcelain veneers, are highly marketed to inexperienced cosmetic dentists as being easy to place because they don’t require any tooth preparation. While some smiles can get away with this, for most smiles they will look bulky. Plus, the Lumineers company requires dentists to use their lab, which is not known for producing artistic results.
I would focus on looking for a great cosmetic dentist and let them pick the brand. They’ll ask you questions about the type of smile you are wanting and will know which brands will be the right one for that smile.
This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentists Drs. Murphree and Yount.